3.2.6—Social norms

Enculturation is the gradual learning and internalising of a culture's norms. Through family, peers, school, media and institutions, children learn what people like them are expected to value, feel and do, and these expectations become part of self-concept and identity.

Norms are transmitted through modelling, instruction, stories, routines, approval and sanctions. A child may first comply to gain acceptance, then internalise the standard and use it to evaluate the self. The process is active: children interpret, negotiate and sometimes resist competing norms.

A child repeatedly praised for helping younger relatives may learn that responsibility to family is valued and come to describe being dependable as part of who they are. Peers or school may promote different expectations, so the resulting self reflects several social contexts rather than one uniform culture.

Enculturation is not genetic inheritance and a shared norm does not produce identical selves. Identify who transmits the norm, the reinforcement or meaning that supports it, evidence of internalisation, and the possibility of change across contexts.